Paperboard box or basket



NOV. 3, 1942. c E U N 2,300,491

PAPER BOARD BOX OR BASKET Filed Oct. 21, 1959 1=1q. 1

l l4 L /3 I INVENTOR. Af/V/Vfl'fl (f FERGuSa/V,

A ORNEY5.

Patented Nov. 3, 1942 2,300,491 PAPERBOARD BOX OR BASKET Indianapolis, Ind., assigniner Corporation, Indian- Kenneth C. Ferguson,

or to Inland Conta apolis, Ind., a corporat ion Application October 21, 1939, Serial No. 300,523 4 Claims. (01. 22952) This invention relates to a basket construction preferably of paper board stock of considerable rigidity and of appreciable thickness or caliper, excluding therefrom stock having a caliper substantially that known as cardboard or stock having the extreme flexibility of cardboard material.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a box arrangement of the general type illustrated in the Plautz Patent No. 1,587,602 dated June 8, 1926, which may be incorporated in basket form, one embodiment of the latter being herein illustrated.

While herein the paper board stock is illustrated as of double faced corrugated paper board, it will be appreciated that the invention also is applicable to paper board of the so-called solid fibre board type, wherein the caliper and rigidity are approximately two to three times that of paper board stock, known as cardboard. The reason for the exclusion of relatively thin paper board or cardboard is that the lock between the side walls is of such character that if a lock were fabricated of such thin paperboard or cardboard stock, the result would not be commercially acceptable and would not hold the parts together while in use when the container is commercially utilized and more particularly as a handled basket.

The chief feature of the invention consists in the formation of such a container such that the same may be readily utilized as a basket by the provision of a handle addition. Insofar as the handle addition or basket form of the box is concerned, the broad idea of applying a handle to a box by having depending handle portions projecting through apertures in dual walls is specifically disclaimed but the particular form of handle structure and its interlocking relationship herein disclosed in combination with the container wall lock is not disclaimed.

Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following specification and claims:

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a developed plan of the blank forming the box portion of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of said blank associated with a handle and arranged in basket formation. a

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal, sectional view through one doublewall of the basket, and is taken on the broken line'33 of Fig. 4 and in the direction of the arrows and shows the handle anchoring end portion.

Fig.v 4 is a sectional view of the basket shown in Fig. 2 and immediately adjacent the left hand double wall thereof, the latter being broken away to illustrate the handle anchorage.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the simplest form of handle embodied in the invention.

In the drawing, l0 indicates the bottom forming or main body portion of the blank, I I indicates two opposite end walls which are integral with the body l0 and hingedly connected thereto by the crease l2. Herein each end is provided with a lateral extension IS, the same being integral therewith and hingedly connected thereto as at M. I

In substantial registration or slightly ofiset inwardly into the end walls H and coincident or immediately adjacent the creases I4, are slots [5,

these slots being of proper length and width, as

hereinafter pointed out. Integral with the other two edges of the body or bottom lllare the side walls IS, the same being hingedly connected thereto as at H, the latter constituting crease type hinges.

Hingedly connected thereto are the inner wall formation portions [8, the connections being a multiple crease arrangement [9. The multiple crease arrangement is provided because of the thickness or caliper of the stock utilized.

Each side edge of the inner wall I8 includes a laterally projecting portion or tongue 20 of a width at least equal to and preferably greater than the thickness of the stock utilized and of a length not appreciably more than and preferably equal to or slightly less than the length of the slot I5, the width of the slot I5 being approximately equal to the thickness of the stock of the tongue and these dimensions are for multiple friction locking engagement, or engagements. It will be noted-see Fig. 1that portions I! are separated from the portions It, as

indicated at 2|.

All of the foregoing is suflicient to form a box structure. It is also contemplated within the scope of this invention that there may be provided on the edge Ila of the end wall I I a blank portion hingedly connected thereto by a multiple crease similar to that illustrated at I9 or by a single relatively wider crease, an extension of the same width as the portion I I and of a length suitable or desired. This may be the same length as the distance between the edge Ila and the crease II or may be a lesser distance or a greater distance. If a greater distance, there will be a reversed crease provided in'such extension' at said portion l8 has an overallwidth substantially equal to that of the portion It. In this event,

. downwardly, as shown in Figs. 2, 3' and 4, and when thus positioned the ton e portions 20' theextended portion, last mentioned, would not have its side edges register with the free edge portions 200 of the flap or tongue extensions 20 but would be aligned with the portion l8.

In the event the overall width of the extended portion is such that the overall width of said extension and the member l8 exceeds the overall width of the portion l6, then the member i8 as thus extended, would have included therein a single reverse crease so the-free end portion of said extended member would lie parallel to and bear upon the bottom It. If

both of these bottom lapping constructions de-' scribed but not illustrated, are employed, it will be obvious that the bottom engaging portions would require that their adjacent edges be mitred or otherwise relieved so as to interfit.

The basic invention, however, is illustrated in the drawing, and the other modifications described but not illustrated therein, are obvious extensions thereof.

For basket formation, there is provided a handle structure having the hand engageable portion as from the ends of which depend the legs 3E. Extending laterally of each leg portion at the lower end thereof, is the portion 32, the portions 32 extending oppositely relative to each other as herein illustrated.

Herein the blank, as indicated at 33, is apertured to receive the leg portions 3! of the handle structure and certain of the flaps it are slotted as at 34 to nest or seat therein the lateral portions 32 of said handle structure, all as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

The container portion is assembled as follows:

The two end walls H are turned upwardly into parallel relation and are arranged at right angles to the plane of the body Ill. Then each of the wings or'fiap extensions I3 are turned inwardly and at right angles to the end walls H. The wings on adjacent ends and adjacent side edges thereof are in substantial alignment and terminate in the basket form of the invention immediately adjacent each other but with a slight space therebetween, as indicated at 35 in Fig. 4. This space nests the leg portion 3| and the slot or notch 3 nests the lateral portion 32 of the handle structure, as shown. The leg portion 3| extends through the aperture 33, also as shown in Fig. 4.

The angular portions 32 and leg portions 3| serve to cooperate with the adjacent surfaces to definitely locate the handle relative to the container portion anad prevent cocking, or raising and lowering of the handle. It will also be observed that no part of the container contents is exposed to any portion of the handle structure, thus preventing spoilage.

After the two ends have been erected and the portions l3 have been turned inwardly into alignment, the sides it are erected so as to be at right angles to the body l0 and thereafter the the main sides 20b of inner wall portions l8 are turned inwardly and project into and extend through-the adjacent slots l5 and serve to lockingly retain the blank as erected in the'box formation. This slot and tongue connection is ofsufflcient frictional character to retain the assembled structure in the container formation. The rigidity of the tongue portion is such that it is not readily deformed and thus will not be deformed and will maintain the lock arrangement throughout the life of the basket for the purposes for which the basket is utilized.

for the packaging of seasonal items such as apples, plums, peaches, apricots, et cetera. The aperture 33 and notches 34 provided with a handle form a basket in which the handle is prevented against coclring toward one end or the other by reason of the adjacent side edges of the flaps l3 and the handle is prevented from escape by reason of the lateral portions 32 seating in the notches 34.

In the event the weight becomes excessive and the stock adjacent, the notch 34 is insufiicient to hold the lateral portion in the proper position, then the lateral portions engage the underside of the creases l8 and the basket still functions as a basket although in the preferred arrangement, this is not the normal position of the handle.

It will be obvious that boxes may be supplied with tl'. notches 35 which are fully concealed by the portions IB and the only exposed portion in the basket form of the box are the two apertures 33. Thus, there is provided a box which may be readily transformed into a basket by the mere handle addition.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in. great detail in the foregoing description and drawing, respectively, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The various modifications which are obvious extensions of the invention and herein before described and not illustrated, as well as other modifications which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, are all considered to be within the broad scope of this inention as defined by the appended claims.

In the latter unless the adjective side is used together with the adjective end" in the'same claim, the adjective side is intended to include either a so-called side" or an end wall.

The invention claimed is:

1. A'handled basket including in combination a container forming blank which when erected providesa bottom, side and end walls, inside side walls top hinged to' the outer side walls and apertured substantially between the two and medianly thereof for handle leg accommodation, and a flap carried laterally by each end wall and normally positioned at right angles thereto between the double walls and having an'elongated notch extending inwardly from the free edge between the ends thereof and toward the connection between the flap extension and end wall, and an inveretd U-shaped handle structure, the ends of the arm portions thereof including lateral extensions of appreciable length, said extensions being directed oppositely relative to each other, the depending ends of the handle seating in the double wall apertures and the lateral extensions of the ends seating in the elongated notches.

2. A basket as defined by claim 1, characterized by the length of the flap extension being but slightly less than half the length of the side wall, whereby the resulting upper portion of the free edge of said extension has contact with the end portion of the handle for location thereof when in basket formation.

3. A basket structure as defined by claim 1, characterized by each end wall having oppositely directed flap extensions and a slot in each end wall and of appreciable length and positioned between the top and bottom of the end wall and immediately adjacent the flap extension connection thereto, each inside side wall portion on its side edge including a slot receivable, complementarily positioned, projecting tongue, the several flap extensions, when the blank is in container formation, being nested between the double side walls, the load strain to the handle being independent of the tongue and slot locking connection.

4. A basket as defined by claim 1, characterized by the length of the flap extension being but slightly less than half the length of the side wall,

whereby the resulting upper portion of the free edge of saidextension has contact with the end portion of the handle for location thereof when in basket formation, each end wall having oppositely directed flap extensions and a slot in each end wall and of appreciable length and positioned between the top and bottom of the end wall and immediately adjacent the flap extension connection thereto, each inside side wall portion on its side edge including a slot receivable complementarily positioned, projecting tongue, the several flap extensions, when the blank is in container formation, being nested between the double side walls, the load strain to the handle being indedendent of the tongue and slot'locking connection, all flap extensions being of equal length, whereby confronting edges of adjacent flaps between a double wall form a handle leg locating channel and with which the elongated notch communicates at its open end.

KENNETH C. FERGUSON 

